Troublesome Gifts
by Marcus Sylenus
Summary: A Secret Santa gift for Shywr1ter - One shot, but will be followed by more. Set in Season 1 after Rising. Reading A Different Game of Cat & Mouse helps but isn't necessary. Rated a strong T for mentions of sex and a few strong words. M/L, of course.


This story is for Shywr1ter, for the Secret Santa challenge.

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**Things she didn't want to see:**

1) Character death

2) The virus

3) Any pairing or situation that is contrary to a Max & Logan pairing (even if the story isn't strictly a M/L shippy fic)

**Wish List****:**

1) A very large sum of money from an unexpected source.

2) A long-lost item is (or has been) found.

3) A Christmas Eve curfew (along with the info telling us why it was imposed)

4) Max isn't sure if she ever had a toy.

5) In trying to decide what she could get Logan for Christmas, she observes/figures out something he needs because it's so worn out/old/nearly empty/(or any similar term) he needs a replacement, but thinks they might both be embarrassed if that was her gift to him.

**AN: ****I was certain that I would not make the deadline, when this little idea came to me: it might seem as a cop-out (and it is) but I thought it was worth trying. I intend to take each one of Shy's prompts and write a short story, self-contained but loosely connected, ending around Christmas day, 2019. It's a little ambitious, I know, but I think I might be able to pull it off. This first story fits in the time line of the same AU universe as my previous story, A Different Game of Cat and Mouse (shameless self promoting!), about three months after our friends return home from Portland, and most of the story will take place on or around Saturday, December 21****th ****2019. **

**Many thanks to Mari for putting up with my almost-nervous breakdown, and giving me a great idea for a story: it's not here, and might not make it into the rest of the ones I have planned for this gift, but it WILL be used. And a special THANK YOU to Montana-Rosalie, who graciously allowed me to use her gift as a base for Shy's; without that, I would still be trying to figure something out by next Christmas**.

**Troublesome Gifts**

The atmosphere in the car was a strange mixture of elation and wariness.

They had finished gathering information for Eyes only latest case, and had everything needed to make the hack that same night. That usually meant a late supper (amazing, as always) a long shower for Max while Logan put the finishing touches to the broadcast and a late night chat, maybe even a couple chess games. It should have been a perfect night, right?

Yeah, right...

The night had started pretty well. Logan had managed to get them into a benefit gala at their target's estate, which served a dual purpose: they had access to the target's computers and – at least for Max – gave her a chance to show herself in public with her brand new boyfriend. Not that Logan never took her her out; they had been in their first official date two days after returning from Portland, and they had made regular appearances in Crash, much to Kendra's and Original Cindy's delight and amusement. But Max wanted more. She knew Logan wasn't ashamed to be seen with her in Seattle's high society. He just didn't give a damn. But Max remembered the comments his former peers had made about her, and especially about him, thinking the poor cripple had had to pay a call girl to be his date at Bennet's wedding, and it made her furious. She wanted everyone to know that A) Logan Cale was _not_ a loser, and B) no matter his social standing and his health, Logan still got the best girl.

Max had hinted at this every time one of the ubiquitous invitations to this party or that benefit arrived, but Logan never acknowledged her hints. He was either oblivious or just playing dumb: considering his keen intellect, Max was leaning towards the later. She had despaired when Logan had accepted Original Cindy's invitation to spend Christmas together, even offering to host the small gathering at the penthouse, knowing he had received an invitation to the annual Cale family party.

And then, this case had given her the best opportunity to get her way. They had spent almost five weeks running down leads into the latest villain of the week, a large human organs traffic ring based in Seattle, but involving most of the West Coast. These creeps not only stole organs from the banks, there were a string of murders in the poorer sectors of the city where the victims were thrown into the Puget Sound minus a few key parts. Logan's outrage and zeal had morphed almost into an obsession when the weeks went by and he couldn't get a solid lead. It was pure, dumb luck that Max run into a 'hunting party' one dark night while riding the streets to calm her nerves. She had stopped the kidnapping and tracked them back to their hideout, and from there it was just a matter of following the proverbial bread crumbs back to the top. Which not surprisingly turned out to be one of the city's richest men, who apparently thought he should be richer.

Asshole.

Between Logan's hacking and several late-night visits from Eyes Only's favorite cat burglar they had managed to get enough evidence to put the trafficking ring out of business, they still had nothing to tie it to the leader, Parker Wellington. And then, out of the blue, came the invite to Wellington's benefit gala for Metro Hospital's cancer wing. _That_ had Logan ranting at the world's hypocrisy for almost an hour. A couple months ago Max would've split, letting His Crankiness work it out of his system, but she had learned how to bring Logan out of his darker moods, and besides, a hot and bothered Logan was, well, _hot_. And after working himself up like that the poor man needed help unwinding...Ah, the sacrifices a girl made for the cause...A few hours later Max sat in bed as Logan slept, still amazed at his...wide range of skills. Original Cindy had once remarked that being a player, Logan was certain to have serious bedroom skills, but she had not been certain what to expect. Max was neither prudish or naïve, she certainly wasn't a virgin, but the first night they had sex was a surprise. A _very_ welcome one.

Hmm...who woulda' thought Logan Cale was _that _kinky?

Max flushed at the memory, and considered waking him up for another round of stress-reliving, earth-shattering sex, but decided to let him rest: she needed Logan to be well rested before convincing him that they should attend that party instead of just use it as an opportunity for some good old-fashioned B&E. Besides, there's _always_ time for an early morning quickie...

*****

It hadn't taken as much effort as Max thought – the all-powerful Eyes Only was a sucker for puppy dog eyes and pouty lips – and the day of the event came quickly. Everything went smoothly, they arrived at the party fashionably late, mingled, snooped, hacked and danced. A perfect evening.

Except...

Except that Logan's tux had suffered a tear in the back during the wedding, a fact no one had noticed until they were ready to leave. Logan had chosen to ignore it, and Max was more than willing to go along, but the vicious piranhas that usually attended these events noticed, and in no time Logan Cale's apparent hardship was the talk of the evening. At first he didn't notice, he was too busy smiling for the crowd and dancing with her. But Max did hear. She heard everything. And then, Margo made _certain_ to point it out to Logan. To his credit, he didn't react badly, didn't really care - but Max did. She had wanted to show these band of snobs and parasites that Logan Cale was a great man, a force to be reckoned with, and he was being ridiculed. She knew Logan didn't care, didn't give a shit what they thought, but Max did. Her man was better than any of them, and they were looking down on him. It really pissed her off.

The night ended early, they got what they needed and left the party, but Logan's mood had turned dark, and Max didn't think that a night of wild, sweaty sex was going to do the trick this time. She needed a plan. Sighing, she was forced to admit she needed her friends and their vast expertise with men.

She just hoped that Kendra and OC wouldn't laugh themselves to death before giving her a solution.

*****

The night ended early, as Max had suspected.

Logan had thrown himself in his work as soon as they arrived at the penthouse, and Max left for a ride soon after. She knew Logan, and he would be nursing his anger for a while, probably a couple of days. She knew it wasn't shame; he was just angry because all his arguments and opinions about Seattle's high society had proven to be right, and he hated to have to be a part of it, and to have Max exposed to it. The fact that she had pushed to go didn't really register in his mind. I did make up his mind about any upcoming social events; he would never go to one again if he had anything to say about it. He had everything he would ever need right by his side.

Well, right there on the streets of Seattle, riding 600 cc. of raw power, but the point was the same. Which was the reason he was really looking forward to their little Christmas gathering, the perfect opportunity to throw their first dinner party as a couple. After all, he might shun his erstwhile peers and ignore their customs and opinions, but there were certain things a man of his upbringing did enjoy, and Logan missed the parties his mother used to host when he was a child.

Thinking of his mother made the usually dull pain of her loss more poignant, and Logan allowed himself a moment to miss her. Not for the first time since they had returned from Portland, Logan wished his mother had loved long enough to meet Max. He knew they would've liked each other's strength and character. More than anything he had accomplished in his adult life, including Eyes Only, he felt that Max would've made his mother proud of him.

Shaking the bittersweet sorrow away, he got back to work. He wanted to be done as soon as possible, so he could focus on making it up to Max and starting preparations for the party

*****

Max got back to Logan's at dawn, to find him asleep in the living room couch, facing the door.

He had fallen asleep waiting for her, again. That surprised her for a moment, because he usually did that when they argued, and she left to work out her frustration with a ride and a visit to the Needle. Then she realized Logan thought she was angry at him because of what had happened at the party, rather than the other way around. Max felt a rush of emotions at the idea; pissed because he thought she would be embarrassed by that, and love for this man that put her welfare and needs before his own. There were times she didn't know what to do about him, he never did things the way she expected him to: he still got lost in his work, but always thought of her, always had dinner ready for her, always had time for her. Max still wondered how a man like Logan had managed to survive and thrive in this world, and what had she ever done to deserve him. She allowed herself a moment to watch him sleep before waking him up and taking him to bed. While the sex was great – amazing, actually – she loved nothing more than watching him sleep. He seemed so young and carefree then, it killed her to wake him. After a while she woke him with a sweet kiss and led him to the bedroom. There would be time in the morning to talk about things.

*****

The next day was horrible. Max had forgotten he had promised Normal to work several Sundays to make up for the extra time she took in Portland, and her boss had decided to get an early start on Christmas deliveries that weekend, so she was due to work all day. Her plans to talk with Original Cindy were completely crushed, as her friend was off duty and unavailable. Max worked through the day almost without rest, and had only managed to stop briefly by the penthouse for a quick lunch to find Logan gone. He had left her a sandwich though, and an extremely apologetic note explaining he had gone to meet some contacts in order to make sure the whole trafficking ring would fall with the evidence they had. She was on one of her last deliveries when she passed a small tailor's shop in one of the better neighborhoods. It was an old business, almost 50 years old, and she marveled that such a small, non-essential shop gad survived after the pulse, when she saw a mannequin on the store window wearing a tux. Then the name clicked: it was the same one she had seen in the label of Logan's tux. That explained a lot. It made sense that with many old clients still going to the same place it could afford to stay open. More important though, it gave her an idea for Logan's gift. She weighed the pros and cons of it, but in the end it came to one simple thing: would Logan consider a new tux an thoughtful gift or take it as a reminder of the awful night? Making up her mind, Max decided to stop by in the morning and see if the tux could be ready in time.

If Logan took it the wrong way...well, that's what make-up sex was for.

**AN2: That's if for now, peeps. Read & review! Santa was a little stingy this year...**

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